Improvement in fermtttation-lockb



- my invention.

weaeaseww WILLIAM F. ENSIGN, OF TROY, NEW YORK.'

Leemrmmtlvo. 83,144, dma 'october 20,1868.

IMPROVEMENT 1N PERMUTATIoN-Locks.'

`The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To `all lwhom it may comer-fn Be it known that I, WILLIAM F. ENsieN, of the city of Troy, in the State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement 011 Locks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,

and exact description of the construction and opera-y tumblers or wheels, the view being of the inner orbottom side;

Figure 3, a top View of the lower or inner of said wheels or tumblers;

Figure 4, a view of the upper or outer side of theg middle one of said tumblers or wheels; and

Figure 5, a View of the under or inner side of said middle wheel or tumbler.

Figure 6 is a view of the slide-oi' the upper wheel or tumbler.

Figure 7, a view ofthe slide of the middle wheel or tumbler'. a l

Figure 8, a view, by section, of the three tumblers.

Figure 9, a view ofthe bolt detached from the lock, with the stump or swivel-lever and guide-block ofthe bolt.

In each of these iigures where like parts are shown, like marks and letters are usedto indicate the parts.

My invention has reference to tha-t class of locks called combinationlocks, where toothed wheels or disk-tumblers are so arranged in relation to eachother, or to sets thereof, that certain slots in a part thereof must be in line, to allow of the bolt being moved in or unlocked, the position of the slots being one depend- 'ent upon an arrangement of certain other slotted disks or plates, the position vof which can be changed or varied at pleasure, and other combinations formed.

In the lock here represented, within the cylinder embracing the key are certain toothed disks, the slots or slits of which must be in line, to allow the key to be moved in or out, so as to be brought in contact with the bolt, or to be removed from the bolt-an arrangement of parts an'd an operation common to like locks, and mmecessary to be Ihere described Jto'nnderstand In connection with the key-cylinder a are also other toothed disks or plates, b, that are well known, as also certain other toothed disks or tumblers, c, when slotted. It is to..this last-named set of disks or'tumblers that my invention has bearing.

My invention `consists in what I call interlockingtumblers, and 4they are constructed as follows: The tumblers or wheels c, when disarranged, or the combination mixed, are so constructed that the slot or gateway d,l into which the lever, swivel-stump e, micrometer proof-latch, or whatever other device there may be to prevent the bolt j' from being withdrawn or unlocked, is closed or locked by a slide, g, working in the slot or gate-way ofthe tumblers, and is held by the tumbler or wheel next in the pack, so that some other one of the tumblers or wheels securely locks the -slide in the gate-way or slot.

In the lock here shown, there is a pack of three tumbler's, c c c". The middle one, c', of the pack has an inner ring, h, which extends on both its sides, and

is the arbor upon which the other wheels, c c, rotate. In the slot ofthe middle wheel, c', is iitted the slide g. The other two wheels have a2slide, y and g. Each of the tumbler-wheels, c and c, has a plain peripheryprojection, l and on, which "the studs n on the sides of y' the slide of the tumbler-wheel c may come in contact with, and thus one wheel is made to lock the slotor ate-way in the next wheel of the pack.

When these wheels or tumblers are all set in their proper position, or on the combination, the swivelstump ein thc bolt carries the slides into the centre of the wheels a suicient distance to allow the bolt to be unlocked, and lwhen locked, the piece o, on the boltstrip p, will carry the slides out, so that the periphery of the wheels'. will present an mibroken circle, with no slot or gate-way.

If an attempt be made to pickthis lock with the micrometer, there being no ,variation or nnevenness of the outer surface of the wheels, no indication would be given as to whether the slot or gate-way was in a high or low place in the wheel. The slot or gate-way being closed, a low place on the wheels or tumbler, or a greater movement of the bolt of the lock, would not indicate the correct number of the combination, for the reason that the slot might be on the high or larger side of the wheel, and the slide would operate to throw up the swivel-stump, thesame 'as the solid tooth on either side of the slot or gate-way. Iithe slide ofthe gate-way were not there, it would show a low point of the wheel, and thus indicate the right combination upon which the lock was set. The slides might be thrown out, so as to lock the gate-way or slot in the tumblers, by means of springs or eccentricsh1stead of the piece o on the bolt-strip.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is In combination, the interlocking of the wheels or tumblers, and closing of the gate-Way in the wheels by theslides, as shown and described.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, this 4th day of December, A. D. 1866.

WM. F. ENSIGN.

Witnesses:

CHARLES D KELLUM, MARCUS P.' NORTON. 

